Batman: Contract Terminated
by StockersBlahBlah
Summary: Sequel to "Bruce Wayne, A Psychological Report by Dr Strange", and my interpretation of the sidemission Contract Terminated, featuring Deadshot. A lot of the dialogue will be taken from the side-quest, but altered to fit the new timeline. Possible inclusion of other DC characters in the future. R&R please! Your reviews help me and motivate me to give you more!
1. Introduction & Titles

"_Bruce Wayne….you're on my list…..Bang!"_

Those were his first words to him, on this night. This long, eventful night. The tall, dark man knelt in the small access area, examining a bullet casing on the ground. He picked it up and there was a quiet click, as a visor slid down across his eyes, and his vision turned 'cool-blue' as he scanned the casing.

"Alfred. We have a problem. Take a look at the image that I just remotely uploaded to the Bat Computer." Batman said as he stood.

"_Is that what I think it, Master Bruce?_" Alfred replied over the airwaves.

Batman looked down at the shell casing in his hand, and read aloud the inscription. "_Deadshot_."

* * *

_**Batman: Contract Terminated**_

Starring

Kevin Conroy as **_Batman/Bruce Wayne_**

Martin Jarvis as **_Alfred Pennyworth_**

Kimberly Brooks as **_Oracle/Barbara Gordon_**

David Kaye as **_Commission James Gordon_**

Maurice LaMarche as **_Victor Fries/Mister Freeze_**

Troy Baker as **_Harvey Dent/Two-Face_**

Chris Cox as **_Deadshot/Floyd Lawton_**

Written by

StockersBlahBlah

**DISCLAIMERS;**

Based on characters created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, among others.

Based on _Batman: Arkham Asylum_ and _Batman: Arkham City_ created by Paul Dini, Rocksteady Studios.

All characters and material owned by DC Comics, Warner Brothers and Rocksteady. I merely own this idea.


	2. Chapter 1 - Lawrence Graham

Batman stood on the rooftop, examining the man who had been shot. He was old, not elderly, but past middle-age. His bold was already frozen to his coat, and it had only been a few minutes since he died.

"_His name was Lawrence Graham_." Oracle's voice spoke over his ear-communicator as Batman reached out and lowered the dead mans eyelids.

"He said he worked on the Tower," Batman said, straightening and turning to look up at Wonder Tower. "Said he had worked on the signal relays around the top of the Tower. After that, Strange had him thrown in here." He said, recounting everything Graham had told Batman before he was shot. "Deadshot shot before he could explain everything." Batman added, regretfully.

Oracle and Alfred were both silent for a second, before Oracle asked, "_Is there a chance that Deadshot is an inmate of Arkham City?_"

Batman pondered it, looking around the ruins of half his beloved, and beloathed city. "It's possible, but unlikely, although I'm not ruling anything out." He replied, taking the grapnel from his belt.

"_So…it's the World's Greatest Detective…versus the World's Deadliest Assassin._" Alfred said, "_Who's going to win?_"

Batman couldn't help but smirk at the butlers dry humor. "Not him." He replied, "Send me the full database entry for Floyd Lawton, I'll upload everything I know about the victim."

"_Done_." Oracle replied.

"Open a case file," Batman added, aiming the grapnel, "I'm going to help Gordon with the extraction of the undercover team he sent in to the museum after Penguin." He replied, pulling the trigger and launching himself off of the roof and into the night sky.


	3. Chapter 2 - Deadshot's File

Title: Deadshot

Real Name: Floyd Lawton

Occupation: Hired Assassin

Biography: As a boy, Floyd Lawton lived in a troubled household. His father physically abused his older brother. Old police reports say that Floyd was setting out to shoot his father with his own rifle, but he missed, and instead killed his older brother.

For years, Floyd Lawson went missing. Now, as Deadshot, a hired assassin, he regularly boasts to "never miss." He is capable of using a large variety of weapons, but prefers using a pair of silenced, wrist-mounted guns. Deadshot's motivation as a sniper is unknown, and he employs the use of a specially design eye-piece to further zoom, and pick out his targets. This eye-piece seems to work in tandem with his sniper rifle's scope, maximising and augmenting his marksman skill. He has spent time in Starling City, if police reports are anything to go by, for the last year and a half. He is now back in Gotham City, specifically; in Arkham City. For what reason?

Known equipment:

Laser Eye Patch – His head-mounted eye-piece, which covers his right eye. This is 1 of 2 unique signature pieces of equipment for Deadshot. Combining this and his sniper-rifle's scope makes it impossible for Deadshot to miss his targets.

Double-barrelled wrist-turrets – Deadshot's second unique signature pieces of equipment. He has two, one mounted on each wrist, that can emit varying bursts of gunshots in less than seconds. They appear to be pressure-triggered in his gloves.

Sniper rifle – Floyds weapon of choice in the field. A long-ranged weapon with an advanced scope.

Curare-laced bullets – Deadshot employs the use of a rare poison laced into and onto his bullets. Curare is a rare poison found in South America, commonly used with arrows.

Abilities:

Master marksman – Deadshot is a master marksman and highly skilled with many long ranged weapons. However, this skill is boosted with the use of his eye-piece.

Physical conditioning – Deadshot is strong enough to go toe-to-toe with Batman, and has done in the past.

Hand-to-hand combatant/martial artist – In these fights with Batman, as well as countless others, Deadshot has revealed a capability to hold his own at hand-to-hand combat, displaying great skill in martial arts.

Notes:

Deadshot's latest victim, Lawrence Graham, worked on Wonder Tower for Hugo Strange. He was incarcerated in Arkham City to keep his silence. There is a chance he has been hired by Strange to erase all record. However, it is not to be ruled out that Deadshot could be working alone, maybe even a legitimate prisoner here in Arkham.


	4. Chapter 3 - Commissioner Gordon

On the other side of Arkham City, Commissioner Gordon and a GCPD S.W.A.T. team were busy attempting to reach a group of undercover police officers, who had previously been taken hostage by the Penguin, but ultimately saved, despite a few casualties, by Batman. They had taken control of the Iceberg Lounge, and the Museum, using it at a base-site.

Batman reached the front doors of the Iceberg Lounge as Gordon was leading the men out, the rest of the S.W.A.T. team handing out armour to them.

"Jim." Batman greeted him.

"Batman." Gordon replied, "Hell of a mess you and your kids made here." He said, gesturing around.

Batman didn't reply, instead he surveyed the scene around them, as the undercover officers slipped on the armour, and strapped it down tight. "I warned you, sending in a team was dangerous." Batman replied sternly.

"And I told you I wasn't going to ignore this place." Gordon replied, walking away. "What happened here?" he asked as Batman followed.

The group was tightly knitted, led by Gordon and Batman across the courtyard.

"I infiltrated this place when I heard Hugo Strange was planning something here. Turns out I was right." Batman stated, taking a Batarang out of his belt and cutting through a wire fence.

"And?" Gordon prompted as he and Batman tugged the fence apart for people to slip through.

"Strange was planning something called Protocol 10." Batman replied. "Protocol 10 was to give authorisation to Arkham City's TYGER guards." He said, "To kill everybody inside Arkham City." He added grimly.

Gordon stopped walking.

Batman stopped, and turned back to him, watching Gordon closely.

"Did you stop him?"

Batman remained silent for a moment, "No. I don't know why Strange didn't initiate Protocol 10." Gordon opened his mouth to reply, but Batman continued. "And now he's gone, so is his TYGER guard. But I will find them." Batman said firmly, putting Gordon in his place. "Let's get you, and your men out of here.


	5. Chapter 4 - Ambush!

The route to the main entrance of Arkham City wasn't far from the Iceberg Lounge. The S.W.A.T. team were constantly on-guard, lifting their weapons, aiming high at the buildings around them.

Batman led the group, using his scanner to search for heat sources behind walls, around corners or atop the buildings they walked between. The gate came in sight, and Batman ushered them along.

"Quickly," he said, glancing back at a disgruntled-looking Gordon.

"You think troubles going to show?" Asked one of the former-undercover officers Gordon had sent in.

"It's better to be safe, than sorry." Batman replied.

There was a noise, and the group froze. All guns and eyes pointed on a brick which tumbled across the ground towards them. Batman moved first, snatching some smoke bombs from a pouch on his utility belt. "Run!" he barked, and cracked the bombs as he tossed them, flinging smoke into the air as bullets began raining down on them from above.

The group ran, the smoke offered them blind cover, but two officers were hit; one went down like a lead balloon, the other was just clipped. He went to his knee, but Batman quickly gripped him and lifted him to his feet.

"Keep moving! Head for the church!" He roared to Gordon and his men, "I'll draw their attention." He said, stopping, and retrieving his grapnel. He fired it into the slowly-clearing smoke, tackling down what appeared to be one of Two-Face's gang.

"He's here!" someone cried in fear, and, as one being, all the men turned to Batman.

Batman had taken down the first of the gang, and was standing over the man's unconscious body.

"Ask yourself. Who _really_ wants to do this?" Batman asked them calmly. Roughly two thirds of the men dropped their weapons, and ran. The other third, spread across three rooftops, held their weapons firmly, but some of them dropped them, wanting to go head-to-head with Batman.

Gordon and his men moved silently through the streets, avoiding groups of thugs on the streets with relative ease. Gordon continually glanced back, seeing flashes of machinegun fire and the occasional thug hanging from the balconies.

"Sir? We're approaching the church." The lead member of the S.W.A.T. team announced quietly.

"Good, is it clear?" he asked.

"Appears to be, sir."

"Good, let's move." Gordon replied and led the men out into the open.

Atop the roof, Batman held the last thug, "Tell me all you know." He barked, "NOW!" as he hung the thug upside down over the side of the building.

"G-Go to hell, man!" he roared.

"Don't make me drop you! How did you know we'd be here!?" Batman roared.

"I don't know! The boss just told us to be here!"

Batman loosened his grip and the thug dropped an inch. He began crying out and flailing.

"No! Fuck you, freak!" he cried.

"Tell me everything!" Batman barked again.

"I don't know, man, I swear to God!"

"_SWEAR TO ME!_" Batman roared loudly and dropped him another inch.

"Ahhh! Okay! Two-Face said his payments to the Riddler finally paid off, it was Riddler! I swear that's all I know, man! Let me down!"

"Thank you." Batman said, clipping a line to the thug's ankle and letting him drop with a cry. The line went taught on the railing and Batman left him there with his buddies.

Batman made his way to the church, to find that Gordon and his men had made it inside safely. He looked out over the city. This godforsaken place, which he used to call _his_ city. Now…it belonged to no one. It belonged to…chaos. A chaos that Hugo Strange had been orchestrating ever since Joker's riot, last year, at Arkham Asylum. He'd found that secret office, Sharp's secret office, in the mansion, with the blueprints. It had only been too late before he'd found out.

He was about to dive off, when he heard the loud booming noise. He snapped his head around to its source-direction.

"Oracle!" he barked into his radio.

"_I just saw the flag on the Batcomputer terminal. I'm analysing the gunshot as we speak._" Her voice quipped quickly.

Batman dove off his perch and glided across the streets, landing on a building nearby, skidding along in the dirt on his knees.

"_It was definitely fired from a weapon matching Deadshot's M.O._"

Batman straightened, "He's struck again. And he's close to Commissioner Gordon and his men."

Oracle went silent for a second, "Bruce…you _have_ to stop him. If my dad get's hurt again…"

"Oracle, I won't let your father come to any harm." Batman replied. "I'll contact you once I've found the next victim. Batman, out." He finished, and went silent. He knelt on the corner of the rooftop, and looked around, using his scanner.


	6. Chapter 5 - Andrew Brian

The elevated road, which used to run through the Gotham North sector of the city, now a broken vein that belonged inside Arkham City. The body, was still warm.

"Deadshot definitely struck again." Batman said grimly, as he closed the shocked eyes of the victim. "I've scanned his prints, and I'm uploading them to the Batcomputer now."

There was a short beep, and Oracle replied.

"_Got 'em._" She said, "_Listen, I know you don't wanna hear this, but the people in there…they're all bad guys, right?_" she asked.

Batman approached the partitioning wall, where the bullet's journey had ended. He placed an infra-red signal inside it, which gave off a large infra-red trace signature, illuminating the path that the bullet had travelled on Batman's scanner.

"Some of the prisoners in here aren't your typical 'bad guys' Barbara."

"_You're telling me. This victim is…was Andrew Brian. He was employed by Strange._"

Batman fell silent, in thought, "There are a number of political prisoners in here. Jack Ryder was incarcerated here. It seems everyone who doesn't belong, crossed Strange somehow."

"_Like Bruce Wayne?_"

"Exactly." Batman said, his tone slightly amused.

"_I have something here. Andrew Brian was involved in the development of Strange's T.Y.G.E.R. weapons._" Oracle replied.

"It seems that…wherever Strange is, he's erasing the records." Batman concluded, "I passed Floyd Lawton on my way in here. It's possible that Lawton wasn't hired from the start, that maybe he was legitimately imprisoned…and later hired by Strange."

"_You've got to stop them Bruce…both of them._"

Batman pursed his lips. "I will." He said. "I'm going to follow the bullet's trajectory, I'll contact you when I've processed the scene." He said and fell silent as he grappled up to the building that crossed the bullet's trajectory. Deadshot had shot through a water tower, water was still flowing freely from the holes, but it hadn't appeared to have slowed the bullet much. That was just how good Deadshot was.

Batman gave a sigh, and looked back down at the body. He turned, and grappled up to the next building.

As soon as he landed, he could see the source.

"Deadshot made a mistake." He said into his communicator, "He left behind a tripod, which he used to steady his shot."

"_Deadshot doesn't make mistakes…that is definitely not his M.O._" Oracle replied.

"It isn't. But he doesn't know he made the mistake." Batman said as he studied the tripod. He scratched a rough patch on the tripod, which crumbled against his gloves. "There's a trace element, a copper, rust-like compound, on the base of the tripod."

"_It could be from wherever he's storing his weapons._"

"It could be." Batman agreed.

"_So what are you waiting for? Analyse the compound! Find where Deadshot is storing his weapons and stop him._"

Batman smirked, "This isn't my first day on the job, Barbara." He said, almost playfully, "My analyser has given me several locations around Arkham City which match the compound, but there are too many to check."

"_Good. That's good._" Oracle replied, "_Deadshot's getting sloppy._"

"He is, and when he slips up again…he's mine." Batman replied grimly.


	7. Chapter 6 - Heart of Ice

"_I've had the Batcomputer analysing the compound,_" Oracle said to Batman as he glided across the city, using his scanner to search for Two Face's thugs, in a hope that it would lead him to the crime boss now in control of Arkham City. "_And you're right, the compound has a heavy trace of lead, a paint, which has been used in several places around Arkham City._"

Batman landed atop the Ace Chemical's building, next to the pod which had dropped off his suit all those weeks ago. "I'll download the locations, thanks Barbara." He replied, pressing buttons on his gauntlet. He accessed a map for Arkham City, and the locations glowed with little blue markers. "That's a lot of places to check." He said.

"_Yeah, that's the only problem._" Oracle said, "_The paint was used on a lot of governmental applications._" She informed him.

"Hm. I might know someone who can help us." Batman replied.

"_Here's me hoping you don't mean…_"

"Freeze." Batman replied solemnly. "I left him in the old GCPD building on the other side of Arkham, I'll head over there and get back to you, Oracle."

Batman fell silent and dove off the rooftop of the former chemical factory.

* * *

As he'd previously discovered, upon attempting to escape the old Gotham City Police Department headquarters, the main door had been blocked by Victor's Freeze Gun. He grappled up to a gargoyle and made his way to the hole he'd blown in the back of the building, gliding around and landing inside it.

"Victor!" Batman called as he climbed through and into the main lab. Victor was stood at a computer terminal, he looked up when Batman entered, and straightened.

"_I wasn't expecting to see you again, Batman._" Victor said, regarding Batman with a sense of hostility.

"I'm not here to fight you, Victor, not again." Batman said, "I need your help to analyse this compound." Batman said, handing over the sample to Victor.

"_Then there is something you must help me with, Batman. The Clown, he took my wife, as collateral for his cure_." Victor told the vigilante as he held the sample before his visor. "_Find my wife, and I will help you._"

"I'll find Nora, Victor," Batman promised him, before turning and leaving the building once more.

* * *

"Oracle, I left the sample with Freeze," Batman said, now perched atop the Gotham City Radio tower.

"_He didn't attack you again, did he?_"

Batman grimaced, "No, but he asked me to find his wife. Apparently Joker kidnapped her and used her to blackmail Victor into developing the cure for Titan poisoning." He told her.

"_That's terrible._" Oracle replied, "_Have you any leads?_"

"Regretfully, no." Batman admitted, "But there are still groups of Joker's gang left around Sionis," he said, "I'll ruff some of them up, maybe get a few of them to talk." He said, "I'll find her, and then I'll stop Deadshot."

"_Did you tell him it was Deadshot?_" Oracle asked.

"No, it was information I felt he didn't need. I'll contact you when I have more information." Batman said.

"_Goodluck._"

"I don't believe in luck." Batman replied, diving off the roof in search of Joker's gang.

He quickly found what he was looking for, gathered outside a warehouse, huddled around a fire in a trash can.

"You really think the boss is dead?" one of them asked.

"Nah, man, he ain't dead. Word is Strange gave him that cure." Another replied.

This made Batman stop, and listen.

"Yea'. That's what I 'eard, too, man. Joker poisoned the Bat, too. What's the bettin' Strange cured the Bat?"

"Why would Strange cure the Bat?"

"God knows. All I know is, Joker's gone silent, even Harley hasn't come out in a few days. No one's heard from Strange, and his TYGER guys have all packed up or been arrested."

"Shame. I was lookin' forward t'getting' Harley all by 'erself," there was a chuckle.

"Yeah right, she'd have shot your balls off before you got anywhere near her.

"Probably…that reminds me, I gotta take a leak." Batman straightened and watched the guy walk off, down around the corner.

The thug, was a big guy. The sound of a zipper, then a wet rustling was heard.

At least Batman had the courtesy of letting the guy empty his bladder, before slamming his head into the wall, and grappling up to the observation deck above with him.

"Tell me what I'm looking for, and I won't hurt you." Batman growled, holding the thug over the railing.

"Ohh shit, oh shit, man, don't hurt me, please," The thug begged, "What the hell do you want!?" he asked, his eyes bulging as Batman slowly pushed him further out over the edge.

"Nora Fries, where is she?"

"W-who!?" the thug asked, then cried out as Batman hit him, almost dropping him over the edge.

"Joker had her kidnapped from Mister Freeze, held hostage. Hidden. Where…is…she?"

"The icicle woman?" The thug whimpered, "J-Just look down, man, she's in there!"

Batman narrowed his eyes, "If you're lying, I'll be back." He said and threw the thug against the wall, knocking him out.

"Oracle. I have a lead on Nora Fries, I need the blueprints to the Falcone Shipping Warehouses, in the Industrial District," Batman said into his communicator.

"_I'm on it._" She replied.

It was just then, that a gunshot echoed around the area…


	8. Chapter 7 - Harvey Dent

The shot came from the north, near the old Solomon Wayne courthouse, now used as Harvey "Two-Face" Dent's headquarters. Its appearance had changed, it was now scarred, like its current resident gang leader, and charred down its right face.

Batman landed outside the courthouse and was surprised to find nobody around. A quick double-check using the cowls thermal imager confirmed this, and slowly Batman turned to look up at the flag flying overhead. As he entered the building, through the big oak doors, he was met with silence. Like the exterior of the building, the interior was scarred as well, the entire right-hand side of the building was charred and destroyed. Walking steadily, half expecting trouble, as always, Batman made his way to the main court room at the back of the building.

He could see Harvey sitting in the judges' box, where he'd shot at Batman himself only a few days before.  
"Back so soon, Bats?" Dent asked nonchalantly. "We heard you took down the bird," he sniffed, "Guess we owe you our thanks…one less job for us to do."  
Batman stepped forward, "Your rivalry with Cobblepot has nothing to do with me, Harvey," he said.  
"Still…we owe you one for that." Dent replied with a growl.  
"Then you can help me now."

Dent looked over, and stopped cleaning his twin ACP pistols. "Help you? Why would _we_ help the great Batman?"  
"Deadshot is inside Arkham City." Batman replied sternly, "Do you know anything about his presence here?"  
Dent stared at Batman for a long time, it felt like an age.  
"No." he finally said, shrugging it off.  
Batman stared at Dent, trying to read him. Hard to read only half a man's face.  
"She's here, too…Harvey."  
Dent paused, wiping some drool from the side of his misshapen mouth. "Which _she_ are you referring to, Bat?"

"Ivy."  
Dent snatched up a gun and fired a warning shot at Batman's feet, who barely flinched.  
"Don't you _dare_ talk about her in front of us!" Dent roared at him.  
"I understand it all, Harvey." Batman said, stepping forward, causing Dent to raise the gun and cock it. "You loved her."  
Dent fired again, this time at the wall behind Batman, the bullet whizzing past the vigilante's head.  
"Our next shot won't miss, Bats." Dent replied, but after a second…he lowered the gun. "Leave us…" he said weakly.

Under the cowl, Bruce Wayne stared at his old friend helplessly. "I'm sorry, Harvey." He said, and turned, his weighted cape billowing out as he climbed back through the broken windows, and left the courthouse.

A door at the back of the courthouse, next to the judge's box, opened.  
"Happy now?" Dent muttered, turning to face the man. "We let you hide here. Now leave."  
"Thanks, Face." Deadshot replied, smirking slightly. He dropped a card on the table, next to the gavel. "If you ever need me." He added, and moved to follow Batman.  
"Out of curiosity…" Dent called after him. "Who's your next target?"  
Deadshot turned and smirked at him, "You watch Gotham City News?"  
"We would if they broadcast anything here."  
Deadshot smirked again, "Oh well, shame." He shrugged, and left.

Harvey sat in the chair, alone again, and turned to the desk, where a crumpled image of Pamela Isley sat in a broken frame.

**A/N: Trying to add some depth and originality to the characters…stay tuned to my author page for more info.**


	9. Chapter 8 - Sarli Javohody

Batman excited the courthouse and strode across the yard outside, down the steps and stopped, looking around the street. He heard voices, to the West, and turned in that direction, walking along silently.

"Who was this guy?" he heard someone say.  
"I don't know, he was like this when I got here." Said another.  
They were behind a car, looking at someone on the ground. Batman approached carefully.  
"One bullet to the head…this was an execution." Said the second guy.  
"You reckon it was Two-Face?" asked a third.

"It was Deadshot." Batman said, startling the group.  
"Batman!"  
"Don't hurt us…"  
"I'm not going to hurt you, Mister Ryder." Batman said, looking around to Jack Ryder, Gotham City News' anchorman, and the other political prisoners of Arkham City. "But you should get out of here, find somewhere to lay low, until the GCPD can get you out of here safely."

The group nodded, and left Batman by the car. They swiftly departed. Batman looked down at the body. "Oracle?"  
"_Yes Bruce?_"  
"I've found the third victim, he was hiding behind a car when he was killed."  
"_What? How did Deadshot do it?_"  
"I don't know." Batman replied, kneeling and pulling the hood back from the man's face. "I recognise this man." He continued, "I'm scanning his prints now."

There was a few seconds silence as Oracle processed the fingerprints, and Batman located the bullet's impact on the body.  
"_His name is…was…Sarli Javohody._" Oracle said.  
"He worked at the Asylum on the patient pacification systems." Batman replied, "He invented half of the technology used to keep prisoners in check."  
"_How did you know that?_"  
"Because I wanted him to work for Wayne Enterprises, he applied six months ago to work in the R&D department, but disappeared."  
"_Strange._"  
"In every sense of the word." Batman replied, flicking on the scanner in his cowl. He looked around, and saw the bullet had passed through Sarli, and impacted on the metal panel behind him. There was a flash in his vision, and a filter dropped down, showing the bullet's path.

"Incredible." Batman said, with a hint of a smile in his voice. "_That's_ how he did it."  
"_What is?_"  
"Deadshot ricocheted the bullet off of a shutter, on Harvey Dent's old campaign office."  
"_Incredible._" Oracle breathed in agreement.

Batman traced the bullet to its source location, atop an old office opposite the church. He quickly found Deadshot's vantage point, and knelt to examine the area.  
"To make this shot, Deadshot was laying down." Batman said.  
"_What? How can you tell…?_"  
"His body heat has melted the snow in this area." Batman explained, "Wait," he added, and leant closer, activating the scanner in his cowl once more. "We've got him. I've isolated a number of distinct plastic fragments." He said.  
"_Excellent, that will help narrow down the possible locations Deadshot could be hiding._"  
"Exactly. I'll get these over to Freeze, it should speed things up."  
"_Good luck, Bruce._"


	10. Chapter 9 - The Hunt

The old GCPD building had always looked ominous to Bruce as a boy, shaped like a courthouse. He never got a look on the inside…not until the Batman was born. He would often gain access to Jim Gordon's unlocked office window to confer with the great Commissioner on case-after-case. He entered through the hole in the rear wall again, and walked into Freeze's lab.

"Victor," Batman greeted, seeing the Ice Man lift his head inside the suit, to acknowledge Batman's presence.  
"_I trust you have returned with information for me?_" Freeze quipped, straightening from the desk.  
"I found her, Victor, she's being held inside an old Falcone warehouse." The Dark Knight replied, holding out a microchip, "I have the location in here. But first, I need you to analyse these particles for me, they will help with my investigation." He added, placing the chips on a small palate and under the microscope.

"_We had a deal, Batman_." Freeze said coldly. "_Show me where my wife is, and I will tell you what you need to know._"  
Batman watched Victor as he handed over the microchip. Freeze took it, inserted it into the right forearm gauntlet of his suit, and a holographic display illuminated from it, showing Freeze the quickest, most vulnerable point of access.  
"Satisfied?" Batman asked.  
"_For the moment._" Freeze replied, and looked down the microscope. "_Interesting, coupled with the elements you had me look at before, I can narrow the compounds down to a mix used on power substations around Gotham City._" Victor replied, looking at Batman again, "_There are several possible locations, where the two compounds co-exist._" He added, reprogramming Batman's microchip with the locations.

Batman took the chip and inserted it into his cryptographic sequencer, syncing it with the micro-terminal to the Batcomputer in his belt. "Thank you, Victor."  
"_No, thank _you_, Batman._" Freeze replied.  
Batman turned to leave, heading towards the door.  
"Victor…" He said, turning to look at the fallen scientist. "Cure her. And leave this life behind. You're better than this."  
Freeze stared at Batman, and then at the spot where the Dark Knight had stood after he disappeared.

Outside, Batman made his way south, to investigate a substation in the Industrial District. After locating the substation, removing the access panel and discovering nothing but old and faulty wiring. Gritting his teeth, Batman mentally crossed off that location, and dove down into the sewer system. He made his way through the dank, dark tunnels, crumpling his nose at the smell.  
"Croc's been busy down here." He commented, more to himself, than anything.  
"_Pardon?_" Oracle's voice responded.  
"Nothing…I'm in the old sewer system, investigating the lead on Deadshot, the compounds I found at the second and third crime scenes have led me to investigate several of the old power substations around Arkham City. One of them is located in the subway terminal."  
"_I see…_" Oracle said.  
"Don't worry Barbara, I'll report to you when I've found something."

Batman climbed into the subway terminal, and paused, sticking to the shadows. He activated the thermal imager in his cowl and flinched when it fizzled out, only shadows and outlines visible. _Damn_, he thought, _Someone in here has a signal scrambling device_. He crept out, and grappled up to a gargoyle, surveying the scene. Four thugs, all armed. Two-Face's men. _I guess they haven't all deserted him, yet_. He thought as he noticed a thug sticking to the lower levels, hiding under a walk way. He was wearing a large pack on his back, with the signal emitter sticking out like a sore thumb. _Gotcha_. Batman thought with a smirk. He glanced around, spotting the other thugs, and dropped to the ground silently, behind one. Taking him down without a sound, and then moving towards the thug with the signal pack. He crept up behind, and took the thug out, cutting off his air supply until he passed out, and breaking the antenna off of the pack. A couple of well-timed, and well-placed batarangs took out the two remaining thugs, and Batman could reach the substation uninterrupted. Again, just bad wiring and a lot of rust.

Substation after substation turned out to be dead ends, all across Arkham. He even found himself checking substations there weren't picked out by Freeze, just in case Deadshot had decided to change base. He reached the final location marked on his map, between Ivy's hideout, and Freeze's lab in the old GCPD building, and approached the substation wearly, watching Ivy's mind-controlled henchmen patrolling on the next rooftop. He would assume that, if he showed no hostile intent, they would not harm him; after all, they were only to protect Ivy herself.

Batman knelt, and ripped off the substations access panel.  
"Oracle, I've found it." Our hero exclaimed, almost happily, "Deadshot has been using this substation to store his equipment and…" Batman reached forward to pluck something off of the shelf inside. "A P.D.A….But its encrypted, give me a second to hack into it, and I can find out what he's doing here."  
"_I have you on the satmaps_." Oracle said, as Batman plucked out the sequencer and opened it, focussing on the signal generated by the device's mobile system. He hacked the password in a few seconds flat. _Headshot_.

"This P.D.A. was definitely given to Deadshot by Hugo Strange," Batman informed Oracle. _He must have been smuggled into Arkham City to eliminate any threats to Strange's rule here._ He thought. He scrolled through the lists of equipment, finally reaching the list of intended targets. "He only has three targets left; Jack Ryder, Bruce Wayne, and Batman."  
"_So Strange didn't tell Lawton that Bruce Wayne and Batman are one and the same?_"  
"Probably Strange's way of keeping Lawton here. Taking out Bruce Wayne would mean Lawton would never find Batman, keeping him here under Strange's thumb, most likely to be killed during Protocol 10."

Before Oracle could respond, Batman noticed a little timer flickering at the top of the screen, and times illuminated in green next to each targets picture. "Damn!" Batman roared, dropping the P.D.A. into the dirt, "He's working to a schedule, Jack Ryder is his next hit. I bumped into him earlier, near Dent's campaign offices, I've got three minutes to reach him before Deadshot takes him out."  
He was already running across the roof, taking the grapnel gun off his belt.


	11. Chapter 10 - The Run

Batman ran hard across the rooftop of the submerged building, lifting the grapnel gun from his belt as he did so, and fired it up at the Gotham freeway sign. He soared, activating the boost function, flying past the Burger Bunny that Dick talked a lot about. It had once sold the best burgers in Gotham, now it was partially submerged, as was most of Amusement Mile. He cut the line and his momentum threw him up into the air. For a brief second, he closed his eyes and once again revelled in the feeling of being weightless, in mid-air, with nothing holding him up. _This is how Clark must feel._

Then his hands twitched and a current crackled through the cape, activating the skeleton inside the cloth and extending it out like wings. He glided down gradually, over the frozen pool on the roof of the old Gotham Casino, with makeshift shelters set up against the rain and snow. Over old apartments, slowly sinking into the Gotham River. He deactivated the current for a few seconds and dove towards the icy waters below, activating the current and forcing the winds to extend against the rushing wind, and he arched his back, climbing higher into the air again.

The electric para-chute was a design dreamt up by Lucius Fox, for use of the army. It allowed the parachute to be gathered back up, using automated motors, packing it back into the capsule, for re-use. Batman, Robin and Alfred had re-designed the idea to work for a para-cape, giving them a new tool to utilise in their war on crime. Allowing them to glide, and fly, like their namesake creatures.

He was re-entering Park Row, now. Two-Face's territory, which stretched from here to the end of the Bowery, with Penguin's defeat at Batman's hand. The freeway had collapsed, partially into the river, thanks to Penguin's bombs. Cars remained only burnt out shells. He glided past Deadshot's second victim, Andrew Brian, and past the church where Gordon and the GCPD officers were hiding.  
"Look out, it's Batman!" several thugs cried as Batman glided overhead, following Church Street towards The Boulevard, where Solomon Wayne Courthouse was located. He grappled up onto a nearby rooftop, rolling over his shoulder to slow his momentum, and ran towards the building edge, diving off and arcing back up magnificently.

"Oracle!" Batman snapped. "I last saw Jack Ryder outside Dent's campaign offices, I'm not reading any thermal signatures on the Boulevard." He said as he glided towards the ground outside the campaign offices.  
"_Scanning all Arkham City and TYGER security cameras,_" Oracle informed him, Batman looked around, almost wildly, the thermal scanner in his cowl working overtime to keep up with the movements. "_Got him, he's over by the old Gotham Bank,_" she said, "_Hurry Bruce, there isn't much time left!_"

Batman kept himself from retorting and ran towards a nearby alleyway, vaulting the fence and sprinting past The Stacked Deck, one of Joker's old haunts, and a former strip-club where Jervis Tetch, otherwise known as The Mad Hatter, had set up camp to lure Batman during the hours leading up to Protocol 10, before his capture by Strange. Hopping another fence he made it onto 5th, and looked up at the Arkham Wall as he ran towards it, Gotham Bank was on the next left. Ivy's old shop to the right, _Baudelaire_. He growled as he saw a makeshift wall had been erected, and grappled over it.

There was Ryder, standing next to an old oil-drum, keeping warm by the fire glowing and flickering inside it, on the corner of Madison and 6th.  
"_Fifteen seconds!_" came Oracle's voice.  
Batman sprinted, causing almost everyone to look round at the source of the footsteps on the ground, which Batman couldn't hear over his blood pumping in his ears. "Ryder! Down!" Batman yelled as he pushed the TV reporter out of the way of the oncoming bullet, which tore a hole in Batman's suit, right through the armour and into his shoulder. The force of the hit sent him backwards, rolling through the snow with a cry of pain.  
Everyone surrounding them cried, gasped, and ran for cover. And as Batman looked up, from his blood dripping onto the white snow, he could just about hear Floyd Lawton's cry of anguish at the mistake in targets.


	12. Chapter 11 - The Showdown

**A/N: Okay, so, the reason this chapter took so long is…because…in the game, the climax of this side-mission, was very, very anti-climactic, so my challenge was…how to make this climax so much more, that Batman has his work cut out for him, knowing that he can't get close without being seen…Anyway, I'll let you guys judge.**

The rooftop was wet, and it only continued to get wetter as rain began to pour. The heavens opened and the sky filled with a brilliant, white light, followed swiftly by a thunderous roar. A man stood in the middle of the rooftop, upon a raised area, a ventilation access system that led down into the building below; apartments, cheap accommodation for people who, had at one time, worked in the area, _The Bowery_. Penguin's turf.

The man had twin double-barrelled wrist-blasters, attached to both wrists, and a highly-advanced headset, with a red lens, and laser-guide over his right eye.  
"You made me miss, Batman," the man growled. He didn't know where the Bat was, but he didn't care. "I _never_ miss." He growled.

Then a voice issued from the darkness, through the rain. "As long as I'm around, Lawton, you'll _always_ miss."  
Deadshot gritted his teeth and began creeping through the rooftop dividers and flower boxes and archways that created a kind-of maze, the laser sweeping across the path in front of him, searching for anything out of the ordinary. Then he heard it, a whooshing sound, and turned, the laser pointing it out and he fired, destroying the Batarang before it came anywhere near him. Another whooshing noise, and the assassin whirled, firing at a short wall, where a black shape had just flickered behind.  
"COME OUT AND FACE ME!" he roared into the night.

Batman crouched behind the wall, which had flowerboxes atop it, and watched Deadshot's legs through the gaps. He had analysed Floyd Lawton's actions for years. He relied too much on his headset, and his wrist-blasters. Batman waited until Deadshot had almost passed him, then stood, reached through the flowers to grab Lawton's collar, pulling him across and administering a swift punch to the head, then crouching back down and hurrying away, to the cover of another wall. Deadshot cried out, flinched backwards, then, as he recovered, leant over and shot the floor where Batman had been standing with a cry.

Deadshot roared out and turned, the laser sweeping the air above Batman's head. "You're _so_ dead, Bats!" he yelled.  
Batman crept along towards the end of the wall, and activated the thermal imager in his cowl. The rain made it hard to pick out the assassin, but the warmth from the wrist-blasters stood out enough for Batman to keep an eye on Lawton's movements.  
Deadshot moved slowly, still searching for Batman. Several long moments passed, with Deadshot moving silently through the walls, but all the time being watched, and carefully avoided by Batman.

Deadshot eventually found his way back onto the raised ventilation area, and Batman was behind the nearest wall, waiting.  
Lawton turned on the spot, aiming with his wrist-blasters, with the laser sweeping around in circles. Batman unclipped the disruptor from his utility belt and focussed the signal on the wrist-blasters, one at a time, and deactivated them. Then grasped the last smoke pellet from its pouch, and carefully aimed…pulled his arm back…and….tossed it silently through the air. It hit Lawton's chest and burst on impact.  
"What the-!"Lawton exclaimed, and coughed through the smoke, flailing his arms to try and clear it all. Batman ran into the smoke, jumping off the ledge and into the air at Deadshot, kicking him in the ribs and knocking the man down, and winding him. The assassin was quickly back to his feet, trying to shoot his way through the smoke as it cleared, and as Batman was about to deliver the knockout-blow, something zipped through the air, followed closely by something else.

Gotham's protector whirled, drawing out three Batarangs from his belt and tossing them towards the source, two missed, narrowly, but the third hit its target, connecting hard with a bow.  
"_**Leave him**_**. **_**He's mine.**_" The man spoke.  
Batman had analysed the voice in seconds; fake. Robotic. Synthesised. A quick scan with the cowl picked out details about this new mysterious figure. Tall; he was standing at an awkward stance, but the cowl approximated he was 6 feet tall. His weaponry was advanced, but simple; a customised recurve bow, and quiver no-doubt full to the brim with trick-arrows. And green. There was a lot of green.

"This man is a dangerous criminal. He has killed countless times, including three innocent members of this City and attempted a fourth." Batman stated, pinning Deadshot with his foot.  
"_**That is exactly why I am here.**_" The archer stated, jumping down to join Batman, the deep, inhuman, synthesised voice echoed around the rooftop. "_This man has killed people in my city._"  
"Starling City? You're their mystery archer, right?" Batman growled.  
"_**And you're the fearsome Batman. It seems we're both familiar with each others work.**_"  
"Except for one thing…"  
"_**And what's that?**_"the archer asked, his head tilting under the green hood.  
"I don't kill." Batman growled.  
"_**Lawton has to pay the price for his crimes.**_"The archer argued, taking a step forward towards Batman, "_**An eye, for an eye.**_"

"You two are so dead!" Deadshot cried, and Batman issued a sharp kick to the man's head, knocking him out. He then turned to the Starling City vigilante, and watched him closely.  
"What are you doing in Gotham?" Batman asked.  
"_**Chasing him.**_" The hooded stranger replied, "_**Lawton has killed a lot of people, including…friends.**_"  
Batman regarded him with curiosity. "You have the luxury of friends?"  
"_**Something like that**_." The synthesised voice sounded somewhat humorous.  
Batman fell silent and extended his hand, "Batman."  
The hooded man hesitated, and took the hand. "_**Green Arrow.**_"  
The two vigilante's shook slightly.


End file.
